Electronic cigarette

ABSTRACT

An electronic cigarette includes a shell and a mouthpiece. The external wall of the shell has an air inlet. An atomizer and a liquid-supply are in contact with each other. The air inlet, atomizer, and an aerosol passage are interconnected.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/525,066, filed Oct. 27, 2014, and now pending, which is aContinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/777,927, filed Feb.26, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,893,726, which is a Divisional of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/560,789, filed Jul. 27, 2012 and now U.S.Pat. No. 8,490,628, which is a Continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/944,123, filed Nov. 11, 2010 and now U.S. Pat. No.8,393,331, which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/587,707, filed Mar. 9, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,410 which is theU.S. National Phase application of International PCT Application No.PCT/CN05/00337, filed Mar. 18, 2005, which claims the benefit of ChinesePatent Application No. 200420031182.0, filed Apr. 14, 2004, all of whichare incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an electronic cigarette, in particularto an electronic atomization cigarette that contains only nicotinewithout tar.

BACKGROUND ART

Although it is commonly known that “smoking is harmful to your health”,the number of smokers worldwide is up to 1 billion, and the number isincreasing every year. According to the statistical data from the WorldHealth Organization, about 4.9 million people die of smoking diseaseseach year. Although smoking may cause serious respiratory diseases andcancer, it remains extremely difficult for smokers to quit smokingcompletely.

The active ingredient in a cigarette is nicotine. During smoking,nicotine, along with tar aerosol droplets, enter the smoker's alveolusand are rapidly absorbed. The nicotine then affects the receptors of thesmoker's central nervous system.

Nicotine is a kind of alkaloid with low molecular weight. A small doseof nicotine is essentially harmless to human body and its half-life inblood is quite short. The major harmful substance in tobacco is tar. Tarin tobacco is composed of thousands of ingredients. Several of these arecancerogenic.

Some cigarette substitutes that contain only nicotine without tar havebeen proposed. Many of them, such as “nicotine patch”, “nicotinemouthwash”, “nicotine chewing gum”, “nicotine drink” etc., are made ofpure nicotine. Although these cigarette substitutes are free from tar,their major disadvantage is that an effective peak concentration cannotbe reached in the blood of a smoker due to slow absorption of nicotine.In addition, these cigarette substitutes cannot satisfy habitual smokingactions of a smoker, for example, inhaling action, and thus are notlikely to be widely accepted as effective substitutes for smoking.

THE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An electronic atomization cigarette that functions as substitutes forquitting smoking and cigarette substitutes includes a shell; amouthpiece; an air inlet provided in the external wall of the shell; anelectronic circuit board, a sensor, an atomizer, and a liquid-supplywithin the shell. A stream passage is provided on one side of thesensor. An atomization cavity is arranged in the atomizer. Theliquid-supply is in contact with the atomizer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an overall structure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another overall structure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an overall structure with a displayscreen;

FIG. 4 is a structural diagram of a sensor;

FIG. 5 is a structural diagram of a sensor with a silicon gel checkvalve;

FIG. 6 is a structural diagram of an atomizer;

FIG. 7 is a structural diagram of the ceramic member in an atomizer;

FIG. 8 is a structural diagram of another atomizer;

FIG. 9 is a structural diagram of a vapor-liquid separator;

FIG. 10 is a structural diagram of another vapor-liquid separator;

FIG. 11 is a structural diagram of the connection of a liquid-supplyingbottle and a mouthpiece;

FIG. 12 is a functional diagram of a circuit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiment 1

As shown in FIG. 1, an air inlet 4 is provided on the external wall ofthe shell 14. A LED 1, a cell 2, an electronic circuit board 3, a normalpressure cavity 5, a sensor 6, a vapor-liquid separator 7, an atomizer9, a liquid-supplying bottle 11 and a mouthpiece 15 are sequentiallyprovided within the shell 14. The electronic circuit board 3 comprisesan electronic switching circuit and a high frequency generator.

As shown in FIG. 4, a negative pressure cavity 8 is provided in thesensor 6 and is separated from the sensor 6 by a film 22. A firstmagnetic steel 20, a second magnetic steel 21 and a Reed switch 19arranged between them is also provided within the sensor 6. The secondmagnetic steel 21 is attached to the film 22. The atomizer 9 is incontact with the liquid-supplying bottle 11 via the bulge 36, and theatomization cavity 10 is provided in the atomizer 9.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the overflow hole 29 is provided on the wall25 of the atomization cavity 10. A heating element 26, which can be madeof platinum wire, nickel chromium alloy or iron chromium aluminum alloywire with rare earth element, is provided within the cavity, and canalso be made into a sheet form with conductive ceramics or PTC ceramics.An ejection hole is provided on the side opposite to the heating element26. The ejection hole can be determined to select either the long streamejection hole 24 or the short stream ejection hole 30, depending on thematerial used for the atomization cavity wall 25. The long streamejection hole 24 can employ slot structure of 0.1 mm-1.3 mm or circularhole structure with a single and multiple holes. The short streamejection hole 30 has the diameter of about 0.3 mm-1.3 mm.

The atomization cavity wall 25 is surrounded with the porous body 27,which can be made of foam nickel, stainless steel fiber felt, highmolecule polymer foam and foam ceramic. A first piezoelectric element 23is also provided on the atomizer 9. The atomization cavity wall 25 canbe made of aluminum oxide or ceramic. As shown in FIG. 9, a through holeis provided on the vapor-liquid separator 7, and can be made of plasticor silicon rubber. As shown in FIG. 2, a retaining ring 13 for lockingthe liquid-supplying bottle 11 is provided between one side of theliquid-supplying bottle 11 and the shell 14. An aerosol passage 12 isprovided on the other side of the liquid-supplying bottle.

As shown in FIG. 11, the solution storage porous body 28 is provided inthe liquid-supplying bottle, and can be filled with polypropylene fiber,terylene fiber or nylon fiber, or be filled with plastic shaped byfoaming, such as polyamine resin foam column or polypropylene foamcolumn. Alternatively, it may be made of a column formed by moldingpolyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polycarbonate into a stack oflaminated layers. The air inlet 4, normal pressure cavity 5,vapor-liquid separator 7, atomizer 9, aerosol passage 12, gas vent 17,mouthpiece 15 are sequentially interconnected.

As shown in the functional diagram of the circuit in FIG. 12, K1 refersto the Reed switch 19, RL refers to the heating element 26, LED1 refersto the Light Emitting Diode 1, U2 refers to the low voltage detectingelement used for the over-discharging protection of the lithium cell, M1refers to the first piezoelectric element 23, and C1, C2, R3, L1, C3,BG, M1 collectively constitute a Colpitts oscillator. The operatingprinciple of the circuit is as follows: when K1 is closed, U1, i.e., thefield effect power transistor, is turned on, RL starts, and the Colpittsoscillator starts oscillating, M1 will provide the high frequencymechanical oscillatory wave to the atomizer 9.

When a smoker smokes, the mouthpiece 15 is under negative pressure. Theair pressure difference or high speed stream between the normal pressurecavity 5 and the negative pressure cavity 8 causes the sensor 6 tooutput an actuating signal, the electronic circuit board 3 connectedtherewith goes into operation. Now the ripple film 22 in the sensor 6 isdeformed to take the second magnetic steel 21 away from the Reed switch19. The Reed switch 19 is then closed (i.e., K1 is closed) under theeffect of the excessive magnetic line of force from the first magneticsteel 20, starting the field effect power transistor electronic switch(i.e., U1 is opened). The high frequency oscillator may uses theColpitts oscillator with the frequency of 550 KHz-8 MHz. The automaticfine-adjusting element in the circuit resonates with the firstpiezoelectric element 23. The LED 1 can be lit under the supply of therechargeable battery 2.

Air enters the normal pressure cavity 5 through the air inlet 4, passesthrough the air passage 18 of the sensor and then the through hole inthe vapor-liquid separator 7, and flows into the atomization cavity 10in the atomizer 9. The high speed stream passing through the ejectionhole drives the nicotine solution in the porous body 27 to eject intothe atomization cavity 10 in the form of droplets, where the nicotinesolution is subjected to the ultrasonic atomization by the firstpiezoelectric element 23 and is further atomized by the heating element26.

After the atomization the droplets with large diameters stick to thewall under the action of eddy flow and are reabsorbed by the porous body27 via the overflow hole 29. Droplets with small diameters float instream and form aerosols, which are sucked out via the aerosol passage12, gas vent 17 and mouthpiece 15. The solution storage porous body 28in the liquid-supplying bottle 11 is in contact with the bulge 36 on theatomizer 9, thereby achieving the capillary infiltrationliquid-supplying.

The mouthpiece 15 is threaded. When the nicotine solution in theliquid-supplying bottle 11 is used up, users can screw the mouthpiece 15out to take the liquid-supplying bottle 11 out, refill theliquid-supplying bottle 11 with the nicotine solution, put theliquid-supplying bottle 11 into the shell 14 again, and then screw themouthpiece 15.

The Reed switch 19, the first magnetic steel 20, the second magneticsteel 21, the ripple film 22 can be replaced by a semiconductor straingauge with sealed film, which is mounted in the place of the sensorripple film.

To simplify the design, the first piezoelectric element 23 on theatomizer 9 can be omitted, and the atomization of the nicotine solutionwill be made only by the heating element 26. The size of such anatomizer can be made smaller, and the structure of the connection of thewhole electronic atomization cigarette is the same as the embodiment 1.In addition, as shown FIG. 8, the first piezoelectric element 23 and theheating element 26 in the atomizer 9 can be omitted, an additionalsecond piezoelectric element 35 in the form of platen with a singlelayer or multiple laminated layers can be arranged in the atomizationcavity, and the stream passing through the ejection hole vibrates thefocus at the center of the second piezoelectric element 35 to achievethe effect of strong ultrasonic atomization.

As shown in FIG. 10, a silicon gel check valve 31 may cover the outsideof the through hole on the vapor-liquid separator 7. During smoking, astream reaches the through hole, as the air pressure in the through holeincreases, the silicon gel check valve 31 is opened and the streampasses; otherwise, the silicon gel check valve 31 is closed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the sensor 6 may also be designed into a structurewith the silicon gel check valve 31. During smoking, the stream comesinto the silicon gel check valve 31, the air pressure increases and theair expands, the third magnetic steel 34 in the valve approaches theReed switch 19 gradually until the Reed switch is closed and the circuitis turned on, and the air outlet of the silicon gel check valve 31 isopened with the increment of the air pressure difference. The Reedswitch 19 can also be made of Hall device or magneto diode or magnetotriode instead.

Embodiment 2

As shown in FIG. 2, to improve the liquid-supplying state, theliquid-supplying bottle 11 is arranged between the vapor-liquidseparator 7 and the atomizer 9. A spring piece 33 for pressing theliquid-supplying bottle 11 on the atomizer 9 is provided on one end ofthe liquid-supplying bottle 11. Other components and their functions arethe same as those in the embodiment 1.

On the inner wall of the shell 14 of the electronic atomizationcigarette described in the embodiment 1 and 2, a digital display screen32 for showing the smoking times per day and the cell capacity can bealso provided. The sensor 6 uses a linear signal output, which isproportional to the suction force (i.e., the stronger one sucks, thelonger the time of operation is), the atomizer 9 operates in the linearmode, thereby simulating a cigarette that looks like a normal cigarette.

Within the shell 14, the microswitch 16 is connected to the sensor 6 inparallel and used for manually cleaning. When users do not smoke, theypress the microswitch 16 to start the sensor 6 connected therewith inparallel, or clean the residue or other impurity substance within theshell 14.

The nicotine solution for atomization contains 0.4-3.5% nicotine,0.05-2% cigarette essence, 0.1-3.1% organic acid, 0.1-0.5%anti-oxidation agent, and the rest is 1,2-propylene glycol.

I claim:
 1. An electronic atomization device, comprising: a housingcontaining liquid and having an outlet coaxial with a longitudinal axisof the device; at least one air inlet for allowing air to flow into thehousing; a cylindrical porous body surrounding a heating wire and anatomization chamber, with the heating wire inside of the atomizationchamber, and the liquid contacting the cylindrical porous body; whereinthe cylindrical porous body has a central axis co-axial with thelongitudinal axis of the device; and an air passage extends from the atleast one air inlet to the outlet.
 2. The device of claim 1 with thecylindrical porous body comprising a fiber material.
 3. The device ofclaim 1 with the cylindrical porous body comprising a ceramic material.4. The device of claim 1 further including an airflow sensorelectrically connected to an electronic circuit board in the housing. 5.The device of claim 1 further including a manually operated switchelectrically connected to an electronic circuit board in the housing. 6.The device of claim 1 wherein the housing is cylindrical.
 7. The deviceof claim 1 wherein the atomization chamber is cylindrical.
 8. The deviceof claim 1 with the housing having a first section attached to a secondsection, and with the liquid in the second section.
 9. The device ofclaim 1 with the cylindrical porous body, and a gas vent leading intothe outlet co-axial with the longitudinal axis of the device, and withthe outlet in a mouthpiece of the device.
 10. An electronic atomizationdevice, comprising: a housing having a liquid-supply; at least one airinlet for allowing air to flow into the housing; a cylindrical porousbody around a heating wire inside of an atomization chamber, with liquidfrom the liquid-supply contacting the cylindrical porous body for movingliquid from the liquid-supply to the heating wire; and an air passageextending from the at least one air inlet through the atomizationchamber and through a gas vent, with the cylindrical porous body, theatomization chamber and the gas vent co-axial with the longitudinal axisof the housing.
 11. The device of claim 10 with the cylindrical porousbody comprising a fiber material.
 12. The device of claim 10 with thecylindrical porous body comprising a ceramic material.
 13. The device ofclaim 10 further including an airflow sensor electrically connected toan electronic circuit board in the housing.
 14. The device of claim 10further including a manually operated switch electrically connected toan electronic circuit board in the housing.
 15. The device of claim 10wherein the housing is cylindrical.
 16. The device of claim 10 whereinthe atomization chamber is cylindrical.
 17. An electronic atomizationdevice, comprising: a refillable bottle for holding a liquid; acylindrical porous body surrounding a heating wire and an atomizationchamber, with the heating wire inside of the atomization chamber, andthe liquid from the refillable bottle contacting the porous body; a gasvent co-axial with the atomization chamber; and an air passage extendingthrough the atomization chamber and the gas vent to a mouthpiece, withthe air passage parallel to a longitudinal axis of the refillablebottle.
 18. The device of claim 17 with the cylindrical porous bodycomprising a fiber material.
 19. The device of claim 17 with thecylindrical porous body comprising a ceramic material.
 20. The device ofclaim 17 further including an airflow sensor electrically connected toan electronic circuit board in the housing.
 21. The device of claim 17further including a manually operated switch electrically connected toan electronic circuit board in the housing.
 22. The device of claim 17wherein the housing is cylindrical.
 23. The device of claim 17 whereinthe atomization chamber is cylindrical.